Christmas with the Greasers
by ivy45663
Summary: The first Christmas after the Curtis parents die.


_**Happy Holly Days to everyone. Here is a Christmas Story I wrote at the Dr.s Office. Please read and review. If you don't like it, don't read it.**_

Thanksgiving came and went. With the arrival of December came cold weather. The wind blew, snow fell and blanketed the ground in white. Christmas had been their Mom's favorite holiday. She always said it was a time for hope, miracles, and sharing. Darry tried to remember the laughter and joy of the season and past holidays they'd shared and hoped this Christmas would be a happy one for them all. Since the death of their parents 8 months ago, Darry had been responsible for his kid brothers. This would be the first Christmas without their parents. Soda seemed to be doing okay, but his youngest brother seemed to get more upset and distant as time went on. He didn't want anything to do with Christmas and honestly Darry had been thinking about skipping the holidays all together, but Soda brought it up after dinner one night.

"When are we going to get a tree?" he asked suddenly. The gang stared at him.

"We have to have a tree," he repeated. "It's almost Christmas."

12 year old Ponyboy felt sick at the thought of having Christmas without Mama and Daddy. He ran from the room. Darry sighed and stood up."Soda, let him alone for now, he'll come around," but a little later he slipped into the bedroom unseen by his middle brother.

"Ponyboy," Darry whispered seeing the boy lying on the bed.

"I can't Darry, how can you pretend everything is all right. They are still gone. No matter what we do they will always be gone."

"They are gone, but we are here and we have to go on living. Soda needs this Pony, he needs the sense of normalcy in his life and truthfully so do I."

"But..."

"Come here baby," Pony climbed on his leg. "Just because Mom and Dad won't be with us doesn't mean we can't carry on their traditions, or make new ones ourselves.

"It hurts," the little boy cried.

"It will Pony, we'll always miss them," Soda said from the doorway.

"Pony, do you know what Dad's favorite memory of Christmas was?" Darry asked.

"No what?" he asked.

"When you and Soda fall asleep under the tree. It's mine to."

"Me to," Soda added sitting down.

"I won't make you join us, it's up to you. I wish you would though. We'll leave you alone now so you can think about it, whatever you decided is fine with us."

It took an hour to put it the tree up after Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit brought it down from the attic. Darry and Johnny got the decorations out while Dally watched from the couch.

"More decorations," Darry murmured gently lying more glittery, brightly colored bulbs on the table.

The gang laughed, clowned around and managed to decorate the tree, all without Ponyboy's help. The evening found the seven boys outside. Pony went in followed by Soda. The boy was staring at the tree.

"Come on Baby," Soda got pillows and pulled him down.

"No Soda, it ain't right," he said getting up.

"It is! They would understand, we can't stop living," Soda told him.

"I can't, don't make me Sodapop," he begged.

"I won't, but can't you just try? For me."

Pony was shaking and crying now. He ran outside to sit on the porch with Johnny.

Later Darry and Soda were talking before bed.

"Darry, he still won't budge."

"I know Little Buddy, but we have to give him time."

"I hope you're right."

"Me too." Soda agreed with him.

The days flew by and soon it was Christmas eve. There were presents under the tree. New shoes for Pony and Soda, a knife for Two-Bit, a lighter for Dally, and for Johnny a new, much needed jacket. Darry, Soda, Steve, and Dally went in together to get it for him. Darry didn't know what to get Steve so Soda picked a watch for him.

Usually getting Pony to go to bed on Christmas Eve was a nightmare, but tonight he went without a problem.

It was midnight and everyone was asleep, but Pony he was looking at the tree, lit up with colorful lights and the star on top. The little boy was hurting so much and knew if he kept his brothers out, the pain would last longer. With a sob he knelt down.

"Pone, come back to bed," Soda whispered from the hallway worried about him.

"Sodapop, can we sleep in here?" he asked.

"Are you sure?" the other boy wanted to know.

"Yeah, I need to, but I can't do it alone, " he whimpered.

"You are never alone. I'll always be here and so will Darry. Come on," he led Pony over tho the tree where they laid down and fell asleep looking at the lights just as they had every Christmas Eve they could remember.

When Darry got up the next morning, the sight that greeted him, made him smile. Now it felt like Christmas seeing the two youngest boys asleep, curled by the tree, he sat down to watch them. Pony rubbed his eyes and sat up, saw Darry and bent his head.

"I'm sorry, Darry," he whispered.

"C'mere Little Man, there is no reason to be sorry. We all grieve differently and in our own time." Darry stood up when Dally opened the door, the snow was lightly falling. Pony followed Soda to there room where he dressed in jeans and flannel shirt. Darry stood in the doorway.

"Ponyboy, this is our first Christmas since the accident. It's been rough, but you and Sodapop make everything worth it. Merry Christmas boys."

"Merry Christmas," they echoed.

Soon all the greasers were up and gathered to eat breakfast before diving into the presents. Later they were all invited to the Matthews where they had a nice dinner, then went by the cemetery to visit their parents.

After Darry carried Ponyboy to his room, he went outside to be alone a minute where he silently thanked God that pony was finally getting over most of the hurt and that each day, they all continued to heal, live, laugh, and love.


End file.
